This invention relates to processing of various organic or organic-bearing materials and more particularly to such processing by highly effective and energy efficient heating of the materials while confined under controlled conditions for converting materials into more useful states.
Heretofore, various apparatus has been proposed for the processing of materials by the use of head wherein the materials are either batch fed or continuously supplied to a retort, or heating vessel. For example, the carbonization of various organic materials, including the conversion of such materials into charcoal, has heretofore been carried out in either drum or cylindrical retorts of the type having the principal axis of the retort oriented either horizontally or at an angle to the horizontal.
Typically, one of two principal techniques is employed in these prior art arrangements to move material through the retort or vessel as it is heated. In a first approach, a screw, auger, worm or other conventional mechanical conveyor is used to physically carry the material along the length of the retort. In the other type of arrangement, the retort itself is mounted for being rotated, as upon rollers, and vanes or other projections within the retort are used to carry material along therein as the retort rotates, in the manner of a cement mixer. Both of these approaches suffer from a number of disadvantages, among which may be noted mechanical complexity and the use of complicated or expensive machinery which with all of the consequent and requisite shafts, gearing, chains, belts, transmissions or other conventional machinery used for imparting rotation either to the auger, or conveyor or to the retort itself.
Regardless of the objectionable nature of such burdensome, complicated and maintenance-requiring mechanical arrangements, it is also difficult to provide, within the confined space of the retort, a sufficient processing length for thorough exposure of materials to be heated as they travel through the retort. Furthermore, it has been exceedingly difficult, in any event, to provide through and uniform exposure of material to be processed in such prior art apparatus due to the fact that agglomerations of the material preclude exposure of at least some of the material to the heating environment, and due to various hot spots or temperature gradients within the retort or heating vessel, some of the material may be exposed to different temperatures than other parts of the material. The processing is, therefore, nonuniform and nonhomogeneous within the body of material.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is the provision of improved apparatus and methods for processing of materials by heating, both organic and inorganic.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of novel apparatus and methods for processing of various organic materials, or materials containing organic constituents, into more useful forms, such as into carbon, charcoal, coke, carbon black, or into gaseous constituents thereof.
A further object of the invention is the provision of such apparatus and methods for producing extremely high quality charcoal or carbon from wood or other lignocellulosic materials, including forest products, such as wood waste, wood chips, sawdust, wood dust, bark, shavings, wood pellets, including various biomass materials including bagasse, grasses, various cuttings, crops and crop wastes, coffee grounds, leaves, straw, pits, hulls, shells, stems, husks, cobs, and waste materials including animal manure, and whereby such various materials are converted into one of the foregoing desired forms.
A still further object of the invention is the provision of such apparatus and methods which are capable of processing organic, as well as inorganic materials, which are in various aggregate, or bulk, forms including chips, small pieces, pellets, fragments, grains, particles, dust, shavings, powder, flakes, chunks, etc.
Another object of the invention is the provision of such apparatus and methods which can be used to obtain various industrial fuels, including low or high BTU gases usable as an industrial fuel, from such forest products or biomass materials.
Yet another object of the invention is the provision of such apparatus and methods for converting rubber tire scrap into carbon black or other high carbon converted material.
A further object of the invention is the provision of such apparatus and methods for processing of charcoal to obtain activated charcoal.
Yet another object of the invention is the provision of such apparatus and methods for making coke from coal.
A related further object of the invention is the provision of such apparatus and methods useful for gasifying coal.
A further object of the invention is the provision of such apparatus and methods for extracting kerogen, i.e., organic oil-yielding matter, from oil shales or bitumen from oil sands.
A still further object of the invention is the provision of such apparatus which can be used not only for heating, but also for drying and mixing, of various different materials.
Among other objects of the invention may be noted the provision of such apparatus which, in addition to being useful for the processing of various different materials and for carrying out various processes as hereinabove noted, which allows such materials to be exposed to a predetermined environment in a highly uniform manner; which permits heating of such materials in piece or particle aggregate form with extraordinary uniformity and controllability; which handles material pieces of various different sizes, mesh, grade and textures ranging from powders through large chunks, and which permits a very high degree of precision and control over a wide range of processing times and rates.
Among still other objects of the invention may be noted the provision of such apparatus which is relatively very compact while achieving the processing materials along a relatively very long path; which is highly efficient in operation, achieving processing of materials with a relative minimum of power, and with such low, almost miniscule power being used only for handling and transferring of materials to and from apparatus of the invention.
Additional objects include the provision of such apparatus and methods which do not require use of conventional rotating shafts, screws and augers; which obviate the use of maintenance-prone complicated or expensive machinery; which permit the use of a stationary processing chamber; and which allow processing along a vertical extent of the chamber.
Various other objects and features of the invention will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinbelow.